title: Oral supplementation with areca-derived polyphenols attenuates food allergic responses in ovalbumin-sensitized mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arecae semen, the dried slice of areca nuts, is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat intestinal parasitosis, rectal tenesmus and diarrhea. Areca nuts contain a rich amount of polyphenols that have been shown to modulate the functionality of mast cells and T cells. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of polyphenol-enriched areca nut extracts (PANE) against food allergy, a T cell-mediated immune disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  BALB/c mice were left untreated or administered with PANE (0.05% and 0.1%) via drinking water throughout the entire experiment. The mice were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) twice by intraperitoneal injection, and then repeatedly challenged with OVA by gavage to induce food allergic responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PANE administration attenuated OVA-induced allergic responses, including the occurrence of diarrhea and the infiltration and degranulation of mast cells in the duodenum. The serum level of OVA-specific IgE and the expression of interleukin-4 in the duodenum were suppressed by PANE treatment. In addition, PANE administration induced Gr-1+, IL-10+ and Gr-1+IL-10+ cells in the duodenum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that oral intake of areca-derived polyphenols attenuates food allergic responses accompanied with a decreased Th2 immunity and an enhanced induction of functional myeloid-derived suppressor cells.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Ru
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Mei-Hsiu
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Tong-Rong
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Jan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001114:Areca / Q000737:chemistry*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D059808:Polyphenols; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin